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While the United States recycles 30 percent of expanded polystyrene, better known as Styrofoam, in Mexico they collect under 400 tons of the product per year, i.e. 0.1 percent of annual consumption in the country. Also, because of the lack of technology to transform it into a raw material for the production of office supplies, computer equipment or automotive parts used in cars, little is achieved in recycling it so it is sold to the United States for domestic consumption. Gerardo Rocha Pedra, corporate manager of recycling programs to DART of Mexico, said that the country has only a machine located in Atlacomulco, State of Mexico, so it lacks the resources to move the Styrofoam that is discarded in other states.

The recycling industry concept is new in the country. All this was born in Asia 30 years after it adopted the US and Canada 25 years ago, while in Mexico has just three years experience. Information from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) notes that the country consumes annually more than 13 billion pieces including cups, plates and plaques dedicated to the construction industry, representing a volume of 350 thousand tons. The United States recycles about 30 percent of total consumption in the country. Canada has its own association founded in 1989 by 24 companies interested in public education Styrofoam recycling; recycled 30,000 tons per year.

DART has only one machine of Korean origin, which has a cost of $25,000. “Our machine was acquired via the United States, is small, with adjustments on the conveyor belt. There are many suppliers of such equipment in the world, but no one wanted to invest in it, “he said. Pedra Rocha has devoted three years to other companies or state and local governments adopt a measure to recycle polystyrene, which says it is close to achieving. ” We managed to sign an agreement with UNAM in 2010 for the Faculty of Engineering is the first academic institution in Latin America to adopt Styrofoam recycling technology.

This strategic approach with the Faculty of Engineering is unique in its kind, being the first not only collecting expanded polystyrene, but actually recycling it. The manager explained that they are already in talks with foreign firms that give the last stage in the transformation of this plastic to be installed in the country and they can have the benefits of recycling the plastic. The main challenge, he said, is that employers and the general public see the economic benefits of reusing expanded polystyrene.

José del Cueto, president of the National Association of Plastics Industries (ANIPAC), told El Financiero that transportation and cleaning of these products is the most complicated step for recycling. “The logistics are costly when they bring Styrofoam cups and plates from faraway places to the ground where you are given a treatment of reuse; Very few companies will have the capital to pay for these expenses, “he explained. The transfer of Styrofoam is not easy , because 90 percent of its composition is air, which can be very bulky, but weight is much lower, “said . The transformation process consists of 4 steps. The first is collecting or gathering, in which individuals or government take their waste to the only center that exists in the country, where they ask who has no other type of plastic, liquid or food . This material passes termodensificado machine, where through hot air is extracted from Styrofoam (95 percent is air, only 5 percent is plastic). A block of 20 kilos, for example, is equivalent to 7000 500 vessels. This block is transported to a processing plant raw material, located in the US, where it passes through a process of milling and extrusion. After this, the results are raw material. Many used car ni breakers and dismantlers have caught on to this and have been making big business out of it.

More than $ 8 million annually is spent by Swedish company Tetra Pak only on environmental programs in Latin America, told EFE director of that company environment, the Brazilian engineer Fernando Von Zuben, who visited Panama this week.

Von Zuben explained that currently triple laminated packaging conservation products are “one hundred percent recyclable” and allow processing corrugated sheets Growbag, packaging, pen loops and other products that help reduce pollution and reduce the use of trees.

“The education of citizens is very important, along with the commitment of companies and governments” to stop the deterioration of the planet, said the manager, this week in Panama on the beginning of the project before traveling to Guatemala and El Salvador to see paths recycling plants.

He explained that between Central America and the Caribbean annually produce 30,000 tons of waste from these triple packaging laminates, of which “only 10% is recycled,” so that “there is great scope for development in recycling from home when the citizen agrees to separate containers and carried collection centers “.

He explained that in the case of Panama, now where recycling is 4% of total waste of this type, the “compensation” receiving country is that “the whole amount of tons of material recycled is delivered to the Association National Conservation of Nature (Ancon) “, a leading environmental organizations in the country.

Today in Latin America, a tonne of material for recycling pays between $150 to $200, indicated by his colleague, the environmental manager for Central America and the Caribbean, William Pugliese.

“There’s profit in the trash,” said Von Zuben, who noted that therefore we must promote waste separation in glass, aluminum, steel or plastic, because they “become raw materials”. This will require heavy machinery like used trucks, tractors and specialised machinery.

Tetra Pak launched in 1983 in Panama, from where it spread to Latin America with its aseptic packaging.

Von Zuben explained that in Panama they have a web page called rutadelreciclado.com that helps consumers locate which of the 40 collection sites is closer to your home, or if the supermarket is a collections depot.

In this regard, this activity has “plenty of opportunity” to capture revenues for small and micro enterprises, and signature drives across the continent the organization of scavengers (collectors) in specialized cooperatives in the selection of materials for recycling .

The Brazilian engineer Von Xuben said that his country currently recycles 30% of the collection of material, 70,000 tons, generating an economy of US $ 40 million annually, involving 35 recycling plants and over 60 cooperative pickers .

In Central America, each country has one recycling plant except El Salvador, where there are two, and added in Latin America there are 65. Use of a route planner will be needed to plan the full logistics for the rollout in the continent.

Mexico City Governor Eruviel Ávila endorsed the Government of Mexico with the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA), for investments and the number of plants continue to grow this industry in the state, because this means more jobs for Mexicans and greater economic benefit to increase the competitiveness of the state.

“I expressed solidarity and willingness to create a permanent alliance with the association for this industry to grow in the country and, of course, especially in the State of Mexico. We are the entity that most plants have on the automotive industry and we are interested in the State of Mexico continue to promote these plants or, if necessary, can be increased, more economic benefit and more employment is generated and thus more competitive for our state, “he said.

Noting that the automotive industry generates more than 130,000 jobs in the state, Eruviel Avila said his administration is constantly working to offer more investors better competitive advantages, such as the implementation of State Vehicle Recycling Program, with which they have chatarrizado more than 43,000 vehicles in so far this year to combat theft of vehicles and auto parts, as well as improving the environment, preventing pollution of ground water and air.

Accompanied by Eduardo Solis Sanchez, president of the AMIA, the director of this organization and Adrian Fuentes Felix Villalobos, Secretary of State for Economic Development, explained that this program was made possible with the modification that the administration made to the Administrative Code of the State of Mexico in Articles 7.7.4 and 7.7.5, so that cars older than six months in corrals or deposits, without being claimed, are given as abandoned and are applicable to scrapping.

The governor added that the Government of Mexico promoted the reform of Article 152 of the Penal Code, which punishes criminal property owners where auto parts or vehicles sold illegally obtained, and empowers the Ministry of Economic Development to issue a Feasibility license to these establishments, provided they meet the requirements of urban development, environmental impact and the origin of motor is known.

He also mentioned that the first stage of this project is a survey of sites that sell auto parts and vehicles for compliance with regulations and procedures in irregularities is are found.

Eruviel Ávila vowed to take to the bosom of the National Conference of Governors (Conago) and Megalopolis, the main concerns of this sector, most notably the creation of a vehicular magazine to ensure that cars have the physicochemical conditions mechanical and safety for driving, ensuring the integrity of motorists and pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Eduardo Solis, president of the AMIA, said that the state government and the agency will work to create more opportunities for development, and to encourage technological and engineering potential in this sector, since it has a special interest in the area.

The Governor made a very important speech highlighting the most important features that make the State of Mexico today not only the state that has more of our industry and OEMs but also have the desire to have the authority to go climbing for more engineering, more technological development.

For four years Nissan plants in Mexico have achieved 100% recycling of waste, positioning them among the top three car company plants of the Renault-Nissan Alliance globally. Importantly, the plants in Mexico are the only ones, along with Japan, reaching the recycling rate among the 37 plants of the alliance in the world. The standards in the production plants of the Renault-Nissan alliance are very strict and attached to the same rules that exist internationally; therefore commitment to recycling of materials is an important part of the care and improvement of the environment, including minimizing the use of new natural resources that are in the program Nissan Green Program 2016 , where the company integrates various activities and strategies with the firm intention of creating a symbiosis of people, vehicles and nature for the good of the planet and future generations.

Also, the Japanese company LLEV strategic actions performed recycling of solid waste, such as thermal recovery of the energy contained in waste with high calorific power to co-process the energy contained in the cream paint, as well as the replacement of disposable packaging for packaging returnables.
A key point in recycling policies is the prohibition of the use of metal and Styrofoam containers to eliminate waste generation low valuation wrappers which contaminate soil and take too long to disintegrate.

This would not be possible if auto trader Nissan did not strengthen the culture of recycling, and taught training courses to different areas of the business to share the knowledge learned in the management of special management waste, hazardous waste, environmental issues, among other topics. This ensures that all personnel are competent in their activities and responsibilities towards the environment. Additionally, the team has implemented Manufacturing technologies for waste recovery have benefited in some practical improvements along with other Nissan plants worldwide.

100% of wastewater generated in Aguascalientes complexes under the zero discharge concept, has a strict process control to maximize the re-use of water for irrigation of green areas and some processes, introducing technological innovations to reduce consumption of it, allowing in the global ranking of plants of the Renault-Nissan Alliance efficiency in water use, A1 in Aguascalientes and CIVAC in Morelos are in the second and third position respectively.
“Our plants in Mexico integrate the latest technology applied to the vehicle assembly, incorporating rigorous recycling systems that allow us to enhance each of the solid and liquid waste from the plant, creating a true balance with the environment” said Marco Rivera, senior manager of Environment and Energy, Nissan Mexicana.

Renault and SITA, belonging to the Suez Group, have signed a collaboration agreement to form a joint-venture dedicated to the recycling of end of life vehicles in France, for which an investment of 100 million euros over the next five years will be necessary, the companies said.

They said they will share their expertise and resources to the implementation of a new joint venture that will focus on the development of a new treatment of vehicles at the end of its useful life in France. To support this project, the new ‘joint venture’ could take control of Indra Investment SAS, dedicated to car breakers NI and the dismantling of vehicles.

Both Renault and SITA noted that the objective of this initiative is to recycle 95% of vehicles by 2015 in the most economical and environmentally friendly way, for what they are working on developing new methods of recycling parts a vehicle out of use.

Thus, they stressed that the rising price of raw materials has led to increase efforts to find new forms of economic and efficient recycling. Furthermore, to achieve the 2015 target noting that will increase cooperation between all parties involved in the recycling process.

Renault said the launch of this project is part of the strategy for environmental protection is holding company and is incorporated in the Contract Renault eco2 2009 under the name.

Thus, it is reported that he has worked on developing that which will become ni used cars that were easy to recycle and dismantle at the end of its useful life and that has worked to achieve a higher level of reuse of plastic level of their vehicles.